Ticket pad



Oct. 16, 1951 M H LQNDON 2,571,268

TICKET PAD Filed Aug. 22, 1950 (2a/25 3 (2li/22 i .Za/2.7 2o/z3 523/22Sras/22 lig- 4' za zei zo l l: I el es I l l IN V EN TOR. (l/o flMafia/on 'Womad /@eew Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATE s APATENTOFFICE:

4 Claims.

This application relates to ticket pads and more particularly to pads oftickets such as are used in motion picture theaters. Such pads aregenerally of rectangular, zig-zag, folded form having one or more, butgenerally ve, tickets to the fold, with the ticket edges forming theface of the pad.

Each ticket is marked on each of the opposite ends of the face side ofthe ticket with a serial number, and the left end of the ticket, exceptfor such a number, is not identical with the right end. It is thepractice to sever each ticket on its center line, either end beingretained as a stub for checking purpose. Such severing may be done in amachine which receives the ticket, severs it centrally, retains theleading end of the entered ticket as a stub, and ejects the trailingend.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pattern of marking onthe faces of a pad of such tickets of such a nature that when halves orstubs are consecutively stacked and superimposed vertically with theiredges aligned, the sides of the stack of stubs thus formed will show adouble line or intersecting line pattern. Interruptions of that patternon the stack will reveal whether or not the interruption of the doubleline pattern on the stack is due to an interruption of orderly sequenceof stacking or due to imperfections in the stubs being stacked.

In a prior Patent No. 2,525,918 of October 1'7, 1950, I have disclosed aticket pad having a crisscross pattern marking onk its faces to revealthe order of stacking of stubs of tickets severed from that pad. Thatpattern may be characterized as a single line pattern because the stubswhen stacked will show a single line pattern on the stack. In thisapplication I disclose a double line pattern, named such because, whenstubs :from a pad thus marked are stacked, av pattern of twointersecting lines will appear on the stack of stubs. y

The single line pattern is such that an interruption of the single linepattern of the stack of stubs cannot be interpreted in a manner todiscriminate among the two types of factors which cause an interruptionof the pattern, whereas, the double line pattern is such that aninterruption of the double line pattern oi' the stack of stubs can beinterpreted readily to discriminate between the two types of factorscausing interruption of stack pattern.

There are two types of factors which cause interruption of stackpattern. The first type is the interruption of sequence of stacking. Thesec- 2 ond type is imperfection of manufacture or of stacking of thestubs. In the second type there are these several factors:

(a) The stacking of the stubs in the stack receiver might not be intruly vertical alignment, with the result that the stack pattern may beinterrupted.

(b) 'I'he tickets may not be severed accurately y in the machine whichissues single tickets from a pad of tickets, and it may be that sometickets are longer or shorter than normal, and, in either case, stubs ofticekts out of normal length, when stacked, will show an interruption ofthe stack pattern. y

(c) The stubs may not be severed accurately from the tickets and itmaybe that some stubs are longer or shorter than normal, and these, whenstacked, will show an interruption `oi stack pattern.

The single line pattern cannot be interpreted f or read to enable thereader to discriminate between the two types of factors above mentioned,but the double line pattern of thisapplication can be interpreted todiscriminate between interruptions of stack pattern due to interruptionsof sequence, or interruptions of stack pattern due to imperfections ofstacking or cutting or shaping of stubs to be stacked.v

Now, where a single line pattern is used, an interruption in the singleline stack pattern will indicate that the stacking was not in the orderin which the tickets were removed from the pad, indicating missing orout-of-order tickets, or will indicate imperfect stacking or severanceof stubs.

However, if a double line pattern is used, as disclosed in thisapplication, a major interruption in the double .line stack pattern maybe interpreted readily to indicate either that the stacking was not inthe order in which the tickets were removed from the pad or thatthestacking was in order but that the stubs were not stacked in perfectvertical alignment or were not severed perfectly, Obviously since theperson charged One embodiment of the invention is shown in the appendeddrawing.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a half scale side view of a pad of tickets showing its exposedface composed of edges of tickets marked with a predetermined geometricpattern.

Figs. 2-5 are half scale views showing folds of ve tickets of the pad ofFig. 1, as ifonulines 2 2, 3-3, 4---4,` 5 5. of Fig. l, and' indicatingthe marking on their edges.

Fig. 6 is a view showing a fragment of a stacky I of stubs of Fig. 1with the double line pattern indicated, with the stubs being showntwieeas) long as the ticket halves of Figs. 1-5,-thoughof the samerelative number per inch of stack height A motion picturetheaterticket"lllmaybe severed from a pad of them and then. severed onits own center line, asis presently the practice,

toY form a stub. Stubs may then be stacked. 'There are 'fourpossibilities for-`stacking stubs. VThe left' end-of the ticket may be'its-leading end as the ticket is insertedin a machine which "severs the"ticketv and'uses the leading'v end to form astubland't'form afstack ofstubs andthe stub may be stacked W'itlrits vface upvo'r'vvith its: facedown. The right end may be the leadingor stub end andthestub `Vmaybestackedv with its face up 'or-with its face down.

-A pad-l2 of suchA tickets consists of a large number of'ticket's'joined end to end, with the individuali tickets separated by'sc'orel'inesl I4.

A- conventional pad' is formed as shovvnY in Fig. l where 2,000 ticketsare folded over-400 times? inf-fa Zigi-Zag Sor accordion pleated-pattern'with ticketsfto the' Iold. .In one embodiment, shcwnfinhalrscalezm.Fig.1, the :ticketsare' 2" that the pad of 2,000 tickets, 400 folds, so'folded, is- "r.h'i'gh, as well asbeir'igV 1'0 longfan'd 1 wide. 1Figjfsh'ows avstack' of` stubs, each.l` 1" ilong.

v400 tickets, vin the example shown; have a thick- 4Each ticket includespointsof'eight lines,V four to each edge, arrangedsymmetrically.

Lines'lB and`4 2l are those of' the' single line rpattern,'-bntlines 22and 23,' form with l'ines20 "and: 2 l' the double' line pattern.

Where lines'iinterse'ct, the point of intersection mayfbefviewed' as'twovpcints of separate lines 'superlmpcsedon one another, which is, infact, theease, as Where the lines are'ruled" on a formed' pad.

'1'.1're=niarkingsu on the tickets' are'genera-lly'simiflarbut'diifer'slightly vfromiold -to fold in ordertl-nat-tlie double line pattern may be formed when .the-stubs arestacked. No matter whichend of .the ticketf-:leads and forms the :stubthat stacked, andno matter which waythe stubs are disposed inthe stack,Aface up or face down, because of the particular pattern disclosed, thestack of stubs will show a perfect double lin'e pattern provided thestubs are arranged in the stack inthe order in which the tickets areremoved from -the padv and also provided the stubs are lstacked inperfectl vertical alignment and are 'of perfectlength,

However, if stubs are placed in the stack in a 4 seriously interruptedorder from which the tickets were severed from the pad, or if the stubsare not perfectly severed or stacked, the pattern will be interrupted.

5 Fig. 6 exemplies interruptions of pattern and indicates how the causesof interruption may be analyzed as follows:

Stub A, out of pattern, is so because it is either .imperfectly stacked,i.e.,. not stacked in perfect vvertical.aliginnent with its adjacentstubs, or because it or the ticket from which it came is imperfectlysevered, being shorter than its adja- `-cent stubs, but not because ofany interruption @of sequence. This may easily be ascertainedfromthefact that if stub A is moved slightly to the r1ght,"to be stackedperfectly, its markings vfwil1fit intothepattern and there will be nointerruption.

' lSimilarly, 'the interruption at stub B may be seen at once to beduenot to an interruption of sequence ofstacking'butto theifactthatstubB is' either not in vertical alignment with its adjacen'tstubs'for' isshorter than' its .adjacent stubs.

'The interruption' Vatr stubtQhowever,A can-be se'enl atloncetobe'due tointerruption ofsequenc'e rather thanffdue' to stub C. being shorterthanv its adjacent stubs or being out of verticalalignmentwitlifitsf'adjacent stubs,and1this maybe established fromA thefactthatiflstubC is moved left or rightits lmarkingslwillnott into vthepattern Iand completethe fpa-ttemiat stiibC.

f Simi1arly,.stub D maybe' seento be out :of sequence. v v

Stub'fE, on the other-hand, may be seen to be rin sequence,or'obviousl'ynotf out of sequence, but rather either imperfectly stackedor imperfectly cut to bei -lsomewhat shorter than theV adjacent stubs,andthi's is demonstrated from theact that if 'stubflllfviferefpushedtslightlyy tothe left,

,m the pattern would be complete'at'stib E.

Inthe examples'g'i'ven, stubs'A,1B,fand'E have 'both-markings to thesame one side-of the pattern, stubsA" and B to thefleft, stub' E to theright, whereas stubs- C and'D each haveboth 4.5 markings on vopposite ordiilerent sides of the `r'i'at'tern.- This'difference gives the-clue forinterpretationto 'the'1v Areader who is not interested in stubsimperfectly stackedbut only in stubs stacked out of sequence. "Suchreader can ignore '50 stubs which have both markings to one side ofthejpattern,` andcan focus his attention on stubs Vwhichha've bothmarkings on' opposite sides of the pattern', or, phrasing thisdifferently, he can focus on stubswhose both markings are outside thepattern orwhose both'm'arkings are inside the pattern. This latter isYnot shown, but imagine Vstub C Amoved down not merely two or threeplaceswhere fit will be' in `sequence and thus fall' into'pattern','-but sixor seven places 'Where itvvill be out 'of sequence'and thus fall out fofpatternwitli both its :"narkin'gs inside the pattern.

:"I-hed'ouble line' Apatte'rr'r enables the 'reader to classify the outof pattern stubsand ignore one class of-ut of patternstubs (-h'avingboth markings onone-side lof the pattern)v and` focus onaidifferentfclas's of outof'pattern stubs (having both markings"onoppos'itefsldes of the pattern), but the sing'llinepatternrequires thereader' to examine all out'of pattern stubs since heis 'furnished withno visible cluewhile the stubs are still stacked'to enablefhim' todetermine. into which' class a particular outof 'pattern stubA may beclassiiied.`

THe'padpattern may be'dCSCribed as follows:

First, the tickets are of identical length, folded in zig-zag form toform a strippad of, rectangular form having front and back faces, eachbounded by horizontal and vertical sides which are formed by the edgesof thetickets.

Secondly, the pad pattern includes two crisscrossing or intersectingsets of parallel oblique lines. One set includes lines 2U and 22, theother lines 2| and 23. The horizontally measured distances between theparallel oblique lines of the first set (20, 22) are equal to one-halfthe length of a ticket. Likewise, the horizontally measured vdistancesbetween the parallel oblique lines of the second set (2|, 23) are alsoequal to one-half the length of a ticket.

Third, each of the two halves vof each of the two ticket edges is atleast twice marked so that each quarter edge is at least twice marked,each half four times, each edge four times, each ticket eight timesmarked. n

Fourth, the corresponding marked points of each ticket half are inalignment across the ticket; i. e., they are the same distance from thecenter line of the ticket of which that half forms a part. This simplymeans that the markings on the opposed faces of the pad are identicaland in alignment across the pad.

Fifth, the intersecting oblique lines are symmetrically arranged withrespect to imaginary vertical and horizontal lines passing through theintersections, and the oblique lines bisect the angles at theintersections.

Finally, there are several tickets to a fold, but al1 the tickets of afold are substantially identically marked.

In the l0" X 5 x l pad exemplified, the marking lines are at 45 anglesfrom horizonta1 and vertical, and intersect as illustrated to formsquares whose diagonals are 1" long.

It is apparent that if stubs are stacked more or less in the sequence inwhich the tickets are removed from the pad, a double line pattern willform in the stack. The -degree of sharpness or fuzziness of the formedpattern reflects how closely the stubs were stacked with reference totheir sequence. If the stubs are stacked absolutely consecutively, thepattern will be clear and sharp, except for imperfections due toimperfect stacking out of vertical alignment or imperfect severingresulting in some stubs being shorter than others. Otherwise, thepattern will be sharp. On the other hand, if the stubs are stackedwithout reference to their natural sequence, the pattern will disappearor at least be interrupted to show interruptions of sequence.

Now having described the ticket pad and pattern here disclosed,reference should be had to the claims which follow for a determinationof the invention hereof.

I claim:

1. A patterned ticket padcomprising a, continuous strip of end to endconnected identical length tickets folded in zig-zag form and thusforming a strip pad of rectangular form having front and back faces eachbounded by horizontal and vertical sides and formed by the edges of thetickets, said faces having on each a marking in the form of apredetermined geometric pattern, including two criss-crossing orintersecting sets of parallel oblique lines, with the horizontallymeasured distances between the parallel oblique lines of the first setbeing equal to one-half the length of a ticket, and with thehorizontally measured distances between the parallel oblique lines ofthe second set also being equal to onehalf the length of a ticket, eachof the two halves of each of the two ticket edges being at least twicemarked, the corresponding marked points of each ticket halfbeingaligned, i. e., the same distance from the center line of theticket of which that half forms apart, the intersecting oblique linesbeing symmetrically arranged with respect to imaginary vertical andhorizontal lines passing through such intersections, with such linesbisectirig the angles at such intersections.

2. A patterned ticket pad comprising a continuous strip of end to endconnected identical length tickets folded in zig-zag form andthusjforming a strip pad of rectangularV form having front and backfaces, each face being bounded by horizontal and Vertical sides, thesetwo faces being formed by the edges of the tickets, each face having amarking in the form of a predetermined geometric pattern, including twocriss-crossing or intersecting sets of parallel oblique lines, with thehorizontally measured distances between the parallel oblique lines ofthe rst set being equal to onehalf the length of a ticket, and with thehorizontally measured distances between the parallel oblique lines ofthe second set also being equal to one-half the length of a ticket, eachof the two halves of each of the two ticket edges being at least twicemarked, the corresponding marked points of each ticket half beingaligned, i. e., the same distance from the center line of the ticket ofwhich that half forms a part, the intersecting oblique lines beingsymmetrically arranged with respect to imaginary vertical and horizontallines passing through such intersections, with such lines bisecting theangles at such intersections, there being several tickets to each fold,with all the tickets of a fold being substantially identically marked.

- 3. A patterned ticket pad comprising a continuous strip of end to endconnected identical length tickets folded in zig-zag form and thusforming a strip pad of rectangular form having front and back faces eachbounded by horizontal and vertical sides and formed by the edges of thetickets, said faces having on each 9, marking in the form of apredetermined geometric pattern, including two criss-crossing orintersecting sets of parallel oblique lines, with the horizontallymeasured distances between the parallel oblique lines of the first setbeing equal to one-half the length of a ticket, and with thehorizontally measured distances between the parallel oblique lines ofthe second set also being equal to one-half the length of a ticket, eachof the two halves of each of the two ticket edges being at least twicemarked, the corresponding marked points of each ticket half beingaligned, i. e., the same distance from the center line of the ticket ofwhich that half forms a part, the intersecting oblique lines beingsymmetrically arranged with respect to imaginary vertical and horizontallines passing through such intersections, with such lines bisecting theangles at such intersections, the patterns being in the form of linesruled on a formed pad.

4. A patterned ticket pad comprising a continuous strip of end to endconnected identical length tickets folded in a zig-zag form and thusforming a strip pad of rectangular form having front and back faces eachbounded by horizontal and vertical sides and formed by the edges of thetickets, said faces having on each a marking in the form of apredetermined geometric pattern, including two criss-crossing orintersecting sets of parallel oblique lines, with the horizontallymeasured distances between the parallel oblique lines of thexstnsetifbeing equal to one-half the length ofcJ ticket-fand.- with thehorizontally measured distancesbetween theY lparallel oblique lines o fthe second set also beingequal to one-half the length oa ticket, each ofthe two halves of each of the two ticket edges being at least twicemarked, the corresponding marked points of each ticket half beingaligned, i. e., the same distance from the center line of the ticket ofwhich that half forms a part, the intersecting oblique lines beingsymmetrically arranged with respect to imaginary vertical and horizontallines passing through such intersections, with such lines bisecting theangles at such intersections, there being several 8 tickets to eachto1d,with, allV the tickets of a, fold being. substantially; identicallymarked, the pat` terns being in the formo! lines ruled on a, formed Dad.

MILTON H. LONDON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Name Date Number v London v Oct.17, 1950

